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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to confront
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. race — humankind
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com